Generally described, computing devices can utilize a communication network, or a series of communication networks, to exchange data. Companies and organizations operate computer networks that interconnect a number of computing devices to support operations or provide services to third parties. The computing systems can be located in a single geographic location or located in multiple, distinct geographic locations (e.g., interconnected via private or public communication networks). Specifically, data centers or data processing centers, herein generally referred to as a “data center,” may include a number of interconnected computing systems to provide computing resources to users of the data center. The data centers may be private data centers operated on behalf of an organization or public data centers operated on behalf, or for the benefit of, the general public.
Computing systems within a data center may process workflows in order to perform various tasks or functions. Processing of these workflows may require access to computing resource either within or outside of the data center. Traditional development approaches in workflow management systems can be both time-consuming and costly. Workflow management systems often have difficulty identifying and tracking processing steps that run at different times and have different durations. In embodiments in which a workflow management system requires the execution of applications distributed across multiple computing systems, the coordination of workflow process steps across those systems presents an added challenge.